On December 3, the special prosecutor team led by Cho Eun-seok—tasked with investigating allegations of insurrection and foreign exchange violations related to the December 3 state of emergency—launched a formal inquiry into Roh Sang-won.
The team believes that securing Roh’s testimony is crucial to uncovering the truth behind the Roh Sang-won notebook, which allegedly contains plans to provoke an attack from North Korea. However, Roh’s consistent silence during previous police and prosecutor investigations suggests that proving the foreign exchange allegations may be challenging.
Legal sources reported on Tuesday that the special prosecutor team questioned Roh for approximately eight hours the previous day as a witness on charges of aiding insurrection. This marks the team’s first interrogation of Roh since its formation in late June.
The investigation focused on clarifying suspicions of aiding insurrection involving unidentified third parties who communicated with Roh at specific times. However, the widespread use of burner phones has made it difficult to identify the individuals involved.
Building on this initial inquiry, the special prosecutor team plans to investigate the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Roh Sang-won notebook and whether its contents were shared externally. Last month, the team assigned dedicated personnel to analyze the notebook.
The 70-page notebook reportedly contains notes suggesting plans to provoke North Korean attacks near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), mentions of torpedo attacks by external contractors, and methods for contacting North Korea. These details appear to be linked to the foreign exchange violation allegations and raise suspicions of attempts to manufacture a pretext for martial law through provocative actions.
While the public prosecutor’s special investigation unit concluded that the notebook, although authentic, lacked substantive evidence, a member of the special prosecutor team questioned this assessment, suggesting a need for a more thorough examination.
The special prosecutor team reportedly focused on building rapport during their interrogation of Roh. Given his previous reluctance to provide statements regarding the notebook’s contents and purpose, their goal was to encourage him to speak.
However, reports indicate that Roh exercised his right to remain silent during the December 4 questioning, suggesting that the investigation may be prolonged. Roh’s attorney, Roh Jong-rae, told reporters that discussing matters related to foreign exchange violations would be challenging for the client.
The special prosecutor team also conducted an on-site investigation involving a shaman known as Bidan Ah-ssi, whom Roh visited multiple times before the state of emergency. They reportedly inquired about Roh’s acquaintances, including retired military personnel close to him.
Given the extensive investigation of individuals connected to Roh, the special prosecutor team is expected to summon him for additional questioning.
In subsequent investigations, they will likely examine whether the military’s threatening flights near the NLL with armed helicopters in the latter half of last year and the Drone Operations Command’s deployment of drones to Pyongyang were intended to provoke North Korea. They will also assess Roh’s potential involvement in these actions.
